More Americans than ever say climate change is real, human-caused

A polar bear wanders on thinning sea ice in the Arctic on August 8, 2017. A new survey Wednesday reported that 73 percent of Americans believe climate change is a result of human activity, a record statistic. File Photo courtesy NASA/Norwegian Polar Institute/UPI | License Photo

July 11 (UPI) -- A record number of Americans believe there is solid evidence that proves climate change exists and it is at least partly human-caused, a new survey Wednesday shows.

The 7-page report by the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment says 60 percent of Americans "now think that global warming is happening and that humans are at least partially responsible for the rising temperatures."

The figure surpasses the poll's previous high of 58 percent in polls from 2008, 2009 and 2017.

Thirty-four percent said humans are primarily responsible for global warming, and 26 percent said human activity was partially to blame. Twelve percent said warming is a natural phenomenon and another 12 percent said they aren't convinced climate change is real. Fifteen percent said they believe climate is not warming at all.

"Seventy-three percent of Americans now think there is solid evidence of global warming. This 73 percent level of acceptance ... marks the fifth straight survey that at least 70 percent of Americans think that there is evidence that temperatures on the planet are rising," the report states.

Ninety percent of self-identified Democrats said global warming is indeed occurring, compared to just 50 percent of Republicans. That divide is as large as any time since 2008.

The survey was conducted by the NSEE among 751 respondents and was aided by the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. The report has a margin of error of 4 points.